I've just completed my first full triathlon season coming from a background in all three separate disciplines. As I look for events next year, the thing that shocks is the very high price attached to most races. Maybe I just don't understand the costs breakdown and TW could do a future article to explain, but by reference to other sports there is little comparrison - join a running club and league events are free. Unless organised by big corporates, even marathons are typically only £10 or so to enter. At a swimming club, again most events are free or there will be a nominal charge. I don't cycle race but do ride sportives. These are typically over well marshalled and supported routes of around 100 miles with entry prices around £20. Given most triathlons I have competed in involve loops of a relatively small area, where is the justification for entry fees of £50 plus?
I'm based in SW London, so if anyone can suggest any local races at reasonable cost I would be apprecaitive!
Comments
Id like to know which marathons are 'typically £10 or so"!
I imagine the insurance would be higher as well............I know they counted Ironman as an the highest level extreme sport when I got travel insurance in the summer..........
yes they are expensive but I suppose like lots of things.............there is a market value as well.....
I dont know of any Marathons that cost a tenner.
The Cheshire Cat Sportif was more than £20 too.
If you think that organising a tri is a good way to make money - then you should give it a go ! Good luck !
Ok. On the marathon point 5-4-3-2-1 Salisbury, Gt Clarendon, Dartmoor Discovery, Beachy Head - any event organised by Long Distance Walkers. You'll find a few...
I had forgotten about transition and security there...
I think sportives are cheaper insurance wise as they are not classed as 'races' as well, which also helps in terms of local police / road stuff.
Agree it's very expensive though!
IM entry fees are mahoosive! But on the one I did, you could really see where the money had been spent - motorcycle escorts for last riders through town (like me) lots of safety kayaks, top notch goodie bags, plenty of feed stations, road closures for most of the day, lots of food at the finish etc. Sure they still make a bit, but its easier to swallow when you can see that they've also spent a bit!
I think those you mention are the exception to the rule, having done 2 of those mentioned and several LDWA ones....none of which I SUSPECT involve road closures (whihc is where cost really kick in).
Anyhoo...that is off topic.
You dont like the entry fee - you dont pay it. Simple enough?!
Philip, I don't know when you last entered the maras you say are £10, but this year
Beachy Head - £20
Great Clarendon - £19
Dartmoor Discovery - £24
Salsbury £10 attached.
Also DD is road run ultra with superb organisation and very decent disco afterwards...
Agree no road closures for any, but would have thought smaller events outside of town centres wouldn't necessarily need them. Maybe the costs are largely health and safety.
I'm not saying I want something for nothing. I'm just somewhat taken back by the cost of even relatively small events.
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Thanks Cougie - Just read the article. It does seem mostly health and safety related
I agree. When I marshalled at the Vitruvian it gave me a proper idea at the amount of organising etc that goes on at a tri. the Vit is run by Pacesetterevents and you'd like to think they would like to make a penny for themselves here or there, being an events management organisation, but I couldn't see where to be honest... If you tot it all up, rental of the facilities for a couple of days as most things are set up the day before, security/canoos on the lake, transition, the motorbike draft busters, the feed stations, policing, St Johns Ambulance, organising all the volunteer marshalls and scouts, organising the sponsors, a proper finish arch with music, announcements, decent medals, goodie bag, nice shirts... all the way to the fact that they know how to treat their volunteers well and treat you to a bacon butty and black coffee at 5am, --- that divided by a relatively small number of participants (not tens of thousands for Great Bupa runs) and you can't really see how they make a huge living out of it...
PMSL @ "disco afterwards"... well whoopeedoo!!!!
Well it depends whether you're there for an 'event' or a race. If you race often, do you always need to pay for DJ, elaborate finishing tunnel and arch, goodie bag (generally full of junk and junk food), t-shirts and medals? All these add greatly to cost and little to race itself although arguably go towards 'event'.
What you do want is for the race to be run on schedule, routes clearly marked, health and safety compliant and kit in transition secure.
Maybe sometimes less is more...
Having it as no frills would probably reduce the numbers of people interested in racing - and so the costs would be higher per entrant.
That's still a fair bit more a small-scale club race that costs maybe a tenner, but when you compare the two it's obvious why - only 200 competitors (most club running events get at least twice that), they have to hire use of a lake for the swim (no need to do that for running races, or if you do you can be a lot more choosy), a lot more signage needed, motorbike draftbusters etc.
*Wonders whether to post, as one of the aforementioned "rich" race organisers, but decides against it for professional reasons.
Suffice to say, Nam has argued this very well. Tis not a golden goose.
Cougie - Trev at Black Sheep Sports puts on Eastnor as a No Frills Event - it is usually very popular.
I can't speak for triathlons, but all those 'expensive finish tunnels' etc for my club running events are paid for as capital purchases for the club - i.e. out of membership fees. The money is not recouped from race entry fees and I don't know of any organisations that do that.
Food and drink is donated by sponsors. Prizes are donated. In fact, the only real costs are for the council and police for road closures and for medical cover.
Tri's also have pool hire and security in transition in addition to road races.
And I can only remember one or two races that have not cost me more than £10, and these were off road 10k races.
I have helped organise some races and one particular race went really well. Over a 1000 runners enjoyed the race and we recieved a lot of praise for the marshals and all the other helpers and the event organisation. We had charged £7 att and £9 Unatt. This fee was used to pay for the T shirt, good quality, the landowner permissions, the car parking fee concession, medical cover, scout club donations, start finish furniture, water station kit, fruity juice and biscuits, then 10% went to Bluebell wood hospice, oh and the UKA license fee. Our time and the rest of the teams time and a complete w/e setting up and then clearing away at the end
One runner said he couldn't believe he had paid £9 quid for a malted biscuit. and he had top position on the RW forum. We were miffed to say the least.
At the end of the day it is an expensive ssport, and there are a lot of hidden costs in running an event in any sport. without events, profit making or otherwise, there would be no sport.
I have listened to a lot of pirates whinge like anything about the freebies given out at IM events. In my opinion, you pay for the race, if you want a good t shirt or bag, go and buy one yourself and dont enter the race
Tri is a commercial sport especially at the "big" events & yes some of those organisers I'm sure do very well out of it.
However I'm suprised to hear the entry fees here, come & do our tri
http://www.harwichrunners.co.uk/triathlon
Sprint & Olympic distances available
or how about a 5k race, turn up, enter on the line £2